Which singer released the 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black?

The singer who released the 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black was Aretha Franklin.

Young, Gifted and Black is Franklin’s eighteenth studio album, released by Atlantic Records on January 24, 1972. It was recorded between 1970 and 1971, during one of the most productive periods of her career. The album blends soul, gospel, pop, and R&B, with Franklin’s piano and commanding vocal performances at its center.

Its title comes from “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” a song written by Nina Simone and Weldon Irvine. Franklin also recorded the album’s original songs “Day Dreaming” and “Rock Steady,” while interpreting material associated with artists including Otis Redding, the Beatles, and Elton John. The album reached number two on Billboard’s R&B albums chart and number eleven on the main album chart.

The title can cause confusion because Simone’s song inspired it, but Simone did not release this album. Franklin’s version was both a commercial and critical success, and she won the 1972 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.